Interactions of Wind Turbines with Aviation Radio and Radar Systems

Wind farms and wind turbines are strong reflectors of radio waves, which can affect radar and radio systems used by civil and military aviation. The speeds of turbine blades and aircraft are comparable, and it can be difficult to discriminate between them using existing radar systems. Wind turbines may also affect communications, navigation and instrument landing systems. This situation is a brake to wind farm development slowing or stopping exploitation of many giga watts of wind capacity in many countries. Therefore, developing approaches and technologies for the mitigation of the impacts of wind farms on aviation systems is of great importance. These technologies have the potential to increase renewable energy generation and promote energy independence but, and this is critically important, they must do so without compromising safety or national defense.

Interactions of Wind Turbines with Aviation Radio and Radar Systems introduces the basic principles of aviation and aviation radio systems, of wind, wind turbines and the planning and development processes of wind farms. The operating principles, antenna systems, beam patterns and frequencies of potentially affected aviation systems are described to facilitate analysis of the problems. General analytical techniques are explored. For systems amenable to mitigation, older techniques and their pitfalls are described, and useful modern concepts are introduced. There are still matters that require basic and applied research; suggestions for topics including future enhancements to mitigation are provided. Guidance is offered on where to find additional information.

The issues are multi-disciplinary and a key consideration addressed by the book is explaining the terminology to help all the stakeholders communicate with each other. For example, the book provides the wind power community with an understanding of the aviation problem, and it explains how wind power extraction is developing for the aviation community to understand what the future has in hold. Researchers and experts in the wind farm development community will find this book to be a valuable resource, as will aviation radio and radar experts, legal counsels and other specialist consultants in the field.